Cable-railway



(No Model.) 3 sneezs -s'heevzz- S. A. GOONEY.

CABLE RAILWAY.

No. 564,184. Patented July 21, 1896.

WiTNESSES]? m: NORRIS vrrzns cc. PuoTmuwou vmsumcmn (No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 3. S- A. GOONEY. CABLE RAILWAY.

No. 564,184. I Patented July 21, 1896.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 2644M; 4% a ,4. 72% BY 7 d i 5440 x X2? ATTORNEYIUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SEBERN A. OOONEY, OF NElN YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE JOHNA. ROEBLINGS SONS COMPANY, OF TRENTON, NEWV JERSEY.

CABLE- RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,184, dated July 21,1896.

I Application filed August 9, 1894. Serial No. 519,898 (No model.)

a T (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SEBERN A. COONEY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Railways, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates, generally, to cablerailways, and moreparticularly to the grip and automatic grip-operating devices for trucksemployed in mining operations and the like.

As is now well understood in mining operations, a track, usuallyinclined, extends from the mine or tunnel to'the ore house or works, andthe trucks adapted to such tracks are propelled by a cable. Each truckis therefore provided with a grip to grip the cable, and as there isconsiderable danger incident to the handling of such trucks, especiallywhen loaded,in descending the inclined track, and also when it isadvantageous to dispense with all unnecessary labor, it is of importanceto provide means by which the grip of the truck shall be capable ofoperation entirely automatic and irrespective of an attendant, both togrip the cable at the start and to release the cable at or near theterminus of the track. In such instances, also, it is essential that thegrip shall be simple and inexpensive, and at the same time be as safeand reliable as is possible to construct it.

"With these ends in view, the present improvements consist in .the novelconstructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter fullyset forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a practical embodiment of theinvention as applied to an ore or coal truck and railway therefor, itbeing understood, however, that its application in practice is notnecessarily limited thereto.

In said drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a cable-railway,showing portions of its two ends with a truck on the railway near oneend, its grip having about completed its trolley.

device at the other end of the railway; Fig. Sis an enlarged sideelevation of the grip and a portion of the cable being gripped, and aportion of the car or truckrbody to which the 5 5 grip is connected.Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is an end view looking fromthe left of Figs. 3 and 4c, the cable being in cross-section; and Fig. 6is a vertical crosssection on the line 6 6 of Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 7 is ahorizontal section on the line 7 of Fig. 5, omitting the cable.

For convenience of description the grip will be first described,followed by a description of the automatic devices for closing and 6 5releasing the grip upon and from the cable.

The grip A is preferably connected with one of the transverse end beamsB of the truck or car framing, or it maybe to the frame of a The beam Bcarries an iron or wrought-iron plate 0, firmly secured to its undersurface, to provide opposite projecting flanges c, which plate, toenable the grip to be shifted or adjusted to any position transverselyof the truck or car, preferably extends more or less the width of thetruck.

The grip is formed of two members A A The member A in the preferred formis fixed and the other member A is movable from and toward the fixedmember. The fixed grip member A is formed integral with aforwardly-extending bracket a, that is provided withoppositely-extending long clips (0, which embrace the flanges c of theplate 0, and thus firmly support the grip and adapt it to be adjustedalong said plate to any desired position- The movable grip member A issubstantially a counterpart of the fixed member lacking the bracket andits clips, and is supported and carried by the fixed member bya 0laterally-extending arm a fitting a recess a in the upper portion of'the fixed member, and is also guided in its movements to and from saidfixed member by said recess aided by one or more pins ct, projectingfrom the 5 fixed member into holes in the movable member. The pins aalso are so positioned with respect to the gripping-surfaces of the gripmembers that the cable is prevented from rising above the plane of suchsurfaces, as seen in Fig. 4. Both of the grip members are broad faced attheir lower portion, and on their opposed or contiguous surfaces areprovided with grooved or semiclrcular gripping-recesses a a, extendinglongitudinally in a,

serpentine or waved line, as seen in Figs. 4: and 7, so that in grippingthe cable E said cable is bent to conform to saidgripping-recesses,which impart thereto one or more bends and provide avery firm mode of gripping the cable. As seen in Fig. '7, it will benoticed that the gripping-recesses extend horizontally from a point inline with the normal position of the cable and then bend in concave andconvex curves to the end of the grip where the recesses again coincidewith the normal position of the cable, and thus the cable outside thegrip is in its original alinement, while inside the grip the cable isbent to both sides of its longitudinal axis, and hence the grippingsurface and power is increased.

To adjust the movable grip member to and from the fixed grip member,there is provided a transverse shaft D, supported in bearings. (I,provided by brackets secured to the truck-frame, (see Figs. .1, 2, shaftpasses through both of the grip-members A A The fixed member A carries ascrewthreaded sleeve (Z, surrounding the shaft D, having a key orfeather (1 that fits a longitudinal keyway (Z in the shaft, and itsthreaded end projects through and engages with female threads in themovable grip member A which thus forms the nut for the screw-sleeve. Thescrew-sleeve d is rotatively connected to the fixed grip member A by apair of clips d whichembrace opposite sides of a circular flange (Z onthe head out of the sleeve, preventing longitudinal movement of thesleeve with respect to the fixed grip member, but allowing the sleeve toturn freely in its bearings in the fixed member. The construction issuchthat when the shaft D is rotated in one direction, rotating also thescrew-sleeve d, the member will'be moved through the screw-threadedsleeve, say away from the fixed member, and the grip be open to releasethe cable; and on rotating the shaft D in the reverse direction themovable memher will be moved toward the fixed member to grip the cable.

Such mode of adjusting one grip member toward and-from the other gripmember to grip and release the cable renders it possible to provideexceedingly simple means for operating the movable member automatically.Thus the transverse shaftD may carry at one or both ends, preferably thelatter, a wheel or pulley D, which may coact with stationary automaticoperating devices alongside of the track or way in the plane of movementof the wheel to rotate it one'way or the other as the car or trucktravels among the track or way. In the present instance these coactingdevices consist of a closing bar, beam, or timber F in one case, and anopening'or releasing. bar, beam, or timber G in the other case, eitherone or both of which may be employed in the operation of the railway.The closing-bar F and 5,) which (see Figs. 1 and 2) is arranged tooverlie and bear upon the wheel or pulley D above its axis and issupported longitudinally of and parallel with the track by one or morearms f, that are secured to and rise from a crosstimber of the track,such arm or arms f being preferably of spring metal so as to yieldupwardly with the bar when the wheel or pulley D rides frictionallyagainst its under surface. The one or both ends of the closing-bar Fwillbe inclined, as shown at one end in Fig. 1, to render the contact orleaving of the wheel 1) less abrupt. To regulate the vertical positionof the bar within certain limits with respect to the wheel D, one oreach of the arms f normally rests on an adjustable nut f carried by avertical bolt f projecting from a supporting-beam f through an eye inthe iarm f. (See Fig. 2.) A spring f, encircling 1 the upper end of thebolt and bearing upon 3 the arm f, aids in returning the closing-bar Flto its normal position resting on the nut f, and may also supplementthe spring of the arm f in holding the closing-bar in firm frictionalcontact with the wheel or pulley D, so 1 that as said wheel passes alongand in contact with said bar its rotationwillbe insured and the gripthus be closed to grip the cable.

It will be observed that the springs f and their adjusting devices forma means for increasing or diminishing the resistance of the spring-armsf to the movement of the auto- T matic grip-operating bar or deviceF.When the bar is in normal position, with the springs f under tension,the springs f and f" are oppositely acting, the former tending toliftand the latter to depressthe bar.

The opening-bar G in its action is a counterpart of the closing-barF,operating on the wheel or pulley D below its axis so as to rotate it inthe movement of the truck, car, or trolley in the reverse direction tothat imparted by thebar F, so as toopen the grip and release the cable.

The opening-bar G is arranged longitudiof its ends inclined to lessenthe abruptness 'of contact of the wheel D,.as-in Fig. 1, and iscarriedby one or more vertical bolts g, rising from a base-plate g, the headsof said bolts limiting the upward position of the bar G, said bolt beingarranged to move vertically with respect to said base-plate. Theopening-bar is supported and held yielding at the limit of its upwardmovement by a suitable spring or springs g interposed between thebase-plate and the closing-bar and encircling-bolts 9 the tension of thespring or springs g being sufficient to press the opening-bar firmlyagainst the wheel D in the travel of the truck, so that said wheel willbe rotated by its contact with the bar.

It will be observed that the abruptness of contact of the wheel D withthe automatic operating device F or G is further lessened by thecushioning effect of the spring or springs g.

nally alongside of the track with one or both In practice, the gripclosing and opening bars F G may be faced on their active faces withsome suitable material which will increase the frictional adherence ofthe wheel thereon. Such material may be a sheet of more or less softrubber r, Fig. 1, and in lieu of this or in addition thereto the wheel Dmay be faced with similar material.

In the preferred construction a wheel or pulley D will be applied toboth ends of the grip-operating shaft D, and the closing and openingbars F and G be arranged on both sides of the track so as to operatesimultaneously on the wheel D, and less strain be exerted on said shaftand its operation be better assured.

So far as certain features of this invention are concerned, it isobvious that other forms of grip members and modes of operation thanthat described may be employed with equal facility, and that theseimprovements herein described may be used with other forms of ways thanthat shown.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination of a car or moving body, a gripadapted to engage a cable and carried by the car, a rotary wheel or partfor actuating said grip by its rotation, an automatic operating devicefor said rotary part carried by spring-arms and means for increasing ordiminishing the resistance of said arms, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a car or moving body, a cable-grip carriedthereby, a screw-shaft for actuating said grip, an automatic operatingdevice for said shaft and oppositely-acting springs holding said device,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a cable-grip, a screw connected with the grip foroperating it, a shaft for operating the screw, a wheel connected withsaid shaft, a yielding bar for op erating the wheel by contact, armscarrying said bar, and springs acting on said arms, as set forth.

4. The combination in a cable-grip of a fixed grip member, a movablegrip member, a screw-threaded sleeve carried by one grip member andengaging screw-threads in the other member, and a shaft within thesleeve for rotating it, as set forth.

5. The combination in a cable-grip, of the supporting-plate, the fixedgrip member laterally adjustable along said plate, the movable gripmember and means for opening and closing the grip, as set forth.

6. The combination in a cable-grip, of the supporting-plate, the fixedgrip member adjustably supported on said plate, a movable grip membercarried by the fixed member, and means for moving the movable membertoward and from the fixed member, as set forth.

7. The combination of the fixed grip member having a' recess andprojecting pins, a movable grip member having a guide-arm entering saidrecess and provided with openings in which the pins project, andmeansfor moving the movable member toward and from the fixed member, as setforth.

8. The combination in a cable-grip of a fixed grip member, a movablegrip member, a screw-threaded sleeve rotatively mounted in onemember,with its threads engaging threads in the other member, clipsholding the sleeve to the fixed member, and a shaft splined to thesleeve for rotating it, as set forth.

9. The herein-described cable-grip members having coactinggripping-recesses arranged in a serpentine line, combined withguide-pins a fixed in one grip member at the edge of saidgripping-recess, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of the cable-grip members, means for opening andclosing them, a wheel or pulley connected with said means, alongitudinallyarranged yielding bar for frictional contact with thewheel for rotating it, and adjustable stops for limiting the movement ofthe bar upward, as set forth.

11. The combination of the cable-grip members, a shaft for opening andclosing them, a wheel or pulley on the shaft, a longitudinallyarrangedand vertically-yielding bar for frictional contact with the wheel forrotatingit and the shaft, and oppositely-acting springs holding saidbar, as set forth.

12. The combination of the cable-grip members, a shaft having a wheel orpulley for opening and closing said members, a longitudinally-arrangedbar along which said wheel may travel to be rotated, a spring connectedwith the bar, a spring for resisting the upward movement of the bar anda limitingstop for determining the normal Vertical position of the barwith respect to the wheel, as set forth.

13. The combination of the cable-grip, the shaft having a wheel foroperating said grip, a longitudinally-arranged bar along which saidwheel travels to be rotated, a spring arm or arms supporting said bar, aspring resisting the upward movement of the bar, and a limiting-nutlimiting its downward movement, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twowitnesses.

SEBERN A. COONEY. Witnesses:

GEo. H. GRAHAM, W. H. GRAHAM.

IIO

